laundering
LAWN-der-ing
/ˈlɑːn.dər.ɪŋ/
The concealment of the origins of illegally obtained money, typically by means of transfers involving foreign banks or legitimate businesses.
Metaphorical cleaning of 'dirty' cash into legitimate, respectable funds.
The story behind the word. Gained fame during the Prohibition era and 1930s mobster era when gangsters like Al Capone bought cash-operated laundromats to mix illicit criminal proceeds with legitimate quarters, literally 'washing' their funds.
Word relationships
- washing cash: Colloquial phrase for concealing illegal revenue origins.
- financial whitewashing: Metaphorical term focusing on disguising guilt or illegality.
- financial transparency: Open and fully audited account origins.
Commonly confused with
- fraud: Fraud generates illegal income through deception; laundering hides where that illegal income came from.
Word family
- launder (verb): To process dirty money to make it appear legitimate.
- launderer (noun): A person who launders money.
Collocations
- money laundering
- anti-money laundering
- laundering operation
- laundering scheme
Idioms & expressions
- cleaning dirty money
Example sentences
- "Banks are required by law to report suspicious transactions to prevent money laundering." Banking Compliance
- "The cartel used network of shell companies in offshore havens for laundering narcotics proceeds." International Crime
Memory hook
LAUNDERING dirty money in a metaphorical washing machine. Washing dirty money clean.
When not to use
Do not use for literal washing of clothes unless specifying 'clothes laundering'.
Fun facts
- The three classic stages of money laundering are Placement (putting cash into the system), Layering (shuffling it through complex transactions), and Integration (re-investing it cleanly).
Related words
Explore more words
money laundering, defraud, subterfuge, fraud, illicit, forgery
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